Correspondence from ACOBA to the Cabinet Office, breach of the Rules (Modern Work Foundation)
Updated 2 October 2025
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The Rt Hon Darren Jones MP Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
Dear Mr Jones,
I am writing to you in my capacity as Interim Chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) regarding a failure to follow the government’s Business Appointment Rules (the Rules) in respect of announcements of Viscount Camrose’s appointment to roles with a community interest company.
The Committee is independent, with a remit to consider applications received under the Rules, consider the risks and advise on the conditions that should apply.
The Rules are set by the government, with the policy owned by the Cabinet Office. The requirement for former ministers to seek and abide by ACOBA’s advice is set out clearly in the Ministerial Code, including specifically that: ‘…Former Ministers must ensure that no new appointments are announced, or taken up, before the Committee has been able to provide its advice.’
Viscount Camrose, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property) in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, applied for advice on joining the Association of RecTech Providers – an initiative of the Modern Work Foundation, a registered community interest company, under its Better Hiring Institute (BHI) brand – as its Honorary President. Before ACOBA’s advice on the application was provided, the appointment was announced via several posts published by the BHI profile on LinkedIn.com.
The same LinkedIn.com profile has also, starting in March 2025, published several posts referencing Viscount Camrose as Chair of the UK Hiring Taskforce – also a BHI-branded initiative. ACOBA has received no application for advice on this role.
Viscount Camrose has indicated to ACOBA that he has not started work in either role.
The government’s Rules state that new appointments must not be announced, or taken up, before advice is provided. ACOBA’s final letter to Viscount Camrose is enclosed.
The Ministerial Code and government’s Rules are clear that an application for advice is required for all outside roles, irrespective of potential limitation in the risk. The risks are significantly limited in unpaid cases due to the lack of financial gain to the individual. What action you take is a matter for the government. However, given the unpaid nature of the role and its low risk, the Committee considers that further government action in this case would be disproportionate.
It is the Committee’s policy to act transparently, including making public any failure to follow the Rules that it is made aware of – correspondence on this matter will be published on our website.
Isabel Doverty Interim Chair ACOBA
Copied to:
The Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office;
Simon Madden, Director of Propriety & Ethics, Cabinet Office;
Viscount Camrose.
Enclosures:
- ACOBA’s final letter to Viscount Camrose